Knicks acquire Derrick Rose in mega-deal with Bulls

Phil Jackson has planted a Rose at the Garden. The big question is whether it has wilted or is ready to bloom again.

In a stunning move Wednesday that shifts the team's direction and priorities, the Knicks acquired former MVP Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday and a 2017 second-round pick from the Bulls for Robin Lopez, Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon.

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The deal, which was made official in the afternoon, gives the Knicks a point guard with All-Star ability but also a scary injury history, one that includes two major knee surgeries in the last four years.

Derrick Rose is heading to the Big Apple after a big-time deal goes down Wednesday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

Rose, 27, is entering the final year of his contract and should be motivated to stay on the court and produce before entering free agency in 2017. He was considered the post-Jordan savior with the Bulls as a Chicago native and first-overall pick, but the injuries altered that path to perpetual rehab and inconsistency.

With the Knicks, Rose joins a team that desperately needed a starting point guard after Jose Calderon was frequently overmatched last season. He's also now the lone teammate of Carmelo Anthony with an All-Star appearance, having been voted on the Eastern Conference squad three consecutive years before tearing his ACL in 2012.

(New York Daily News)

This is the biggest — and riskiest — trade completed by Jackson as team president. It also shows a commitment to push now for the playoffs, considering he's trading a first-round pick entering his second year (Grant) and a player under contract for three more years (Lopez) for an injury-prone point guard on an expiring deal.

It goes against Jackson's publicly preached philosophies of patience and continuity, but is probably more in line with what Anthony was hoping for from the offseason.

"This is an exciting day for New York and our fans," Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said. "Derrick is one of the top point guards in the NBA who is playoff-battle-tested. He adds a whole new dynamic to our roster and immediately elevates our backcourt."

Where does this leave the Knicks' roster? They've swapped their need for a point guard into a need for a center, with still enough cap space to entice a max player. Dwight Howard, who just informed the Rockets that he's opting out of his contract, is reportedly keen on joining the Knicks. Pau Gasol, a former Laker under Jackson, is now unlikely to rejoin the Bulls as a free agent. Same with Joakim Noah. Heat center Hassan Whiteside will be looking for a max contract this summer. The Knicks are expected to sign Spanish center Willy Hernangomez, 22, their second-round draft pick in 2015, as a backup.

Lopez played well in his lone season with the Knicks after signing a four-year, $54 million deal last year, becoming an important reason Kristaps Porzingis was allowed to float outside of the paint and flourish. However, there's a reason Lopez is already joining his fifth team in only nine seasons — he's limited offensively and athletically, with a ceiling much lower than a healthy Rose.

Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose will be teammates next season. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Grant, the No. 19 overall pick in last year's draft, was acquired by the Knicks in a trade for Tim Hardaway Jr. He was inconsistent with sporadic minutes last season, as a pick-and-roll point guard who wasn't accustomed to the triangle. He played 76 games, starting six, while averaging 5.6 points on only 39% shooting.

Rose played 66 games last season — the most since his first injury in 2012 — while averaging 16.4 points and 4.7 assists in 31.8 minutes. The Bulls transitioned to a new franchise star, Jimmy Butler, who inked a $95 million contract last summer and subsequently developed into an All-Star. There were persistent rumblings that Rose and Butler didn't get along and couldn't co-exist on the court.

The Bulls, who missed the playoffs last season for the first time in seven years, reportedly turned down trade offers for Butler from the Celtics for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. They weren't so attached to Rose, however, who is the first former MVP to play for the Knicks since Bob McAdoo.

In name recognition at least, the Knicks won the trade. Now they have to hope Rose stays healthy and regains the explosiveness that, for a very brief time, made him one of the best players in the NBA.